Support London Met workers

This is the latest information I have received about the campaign against redundancies at London Metropolitan University;

As you know, London Met UCU and London Met Unison have been conducting a major campaign to oppose our management's insistence on the loss of 550 FTE posts - which may eventually result in up to 700 job losses (1/4 of our entire workforce). Both unions won overwhelming endorsement for industrial action in industrial action ballots, and UCU took an initial day's strike action in May, followed by joint strike action with Unison in July. UCU also initiated ‘greylisting’ against the university on September 1st and this is already having a major impact (please see http://www.lmuucu.devisland.net/lmuucu-greylist-010909.html for further details)

However, despite forcing management to slowdown their redundancy plans and to postpone attempts to outsource vital services such as IT, they still appear hell bent on mass compulsory redundancies. They are also now planning on closing the last remaining on-campus student nursery – this will in itself specifically, and negatively, impact on the lives of very many women returners to education.

Both unions have therefore voted to escalate our industrial action campaign and this will commence with a joint UCU/Unison university-wide two day strike on Thursday and Friday (October 15th/16th) of this week.

JOINT UCU/UNISON STRIKE – THURSDAY/FRIDAY 15TH/16TH OCTOBER

Our picket lines will commence at 8am at each of our main campus buildings in Holloway Road, Moorgate, Aldgate East, and Whitechapel (see http://savelondonmetuni.blogspot.com/2009/10/support-our-strike-join-pickets-thurs.html for details). We are also planning on holding a mass rally during the strike (details to follow – please check our website for the latest information).

Please make every effort to join us in the morning on our picket lines and to send delegations (and banners) from your branches to our rally in the afternoon. Further updates will be posted on our blog: http://savelondonmetuni.blogspot.com and website http://www.lmuucu.devisland.net. You can also email your messages of support to: unisonlondonmet@googlemail.com and lmuucu@devisland.net